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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Welcome, Carol. Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.

A little less
with each book! In my first book, Midnight
Shadows, my heroine was basically a fictionalized version of me. I even
made her a court reporter (my former career). Each of my subsequent characters
has had fewer of my own traits. In Trust My Heart, my latest release,
Jami is much more like my artistic, dreamer daughter than like me.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever
done?

I don’t think of
myself as a quirky person, so I had to ask for my sister’s help on this one.
She assured me my obsession with lists is not normal, which might put it in the
“quirky” category. I always have two or three to-do lists going at any given
time. I love marking things off, so if I do something that’s not on the list, I
add it so I can have the pleasure of crossing it off. I even have an Excel
spreadsheet in my computer titled “Where I Put Things.” It’s those rarely used
items that always get me. This list tells me which shelf of which closet holds
the item I’m looking for.

That spreadsheet sounds like a good idea
to me. I may have to borrow it. I do have a file with where I put the Christmas
presents I acquire early. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I discovered I
had a natural bent for writing in my late elementary school years. I was one of
those weird kids who actually enjoyed doing book reports. In high school, I got
to do research papers and had even more fun. I never considered writing for
publication, though, until the early to mid-1990s. My husband and I were
working with Marriage Encounter at the time, and the leader would edit the
talks we wrote. After submitting two or three of them, I received a note back
that in 25 years of leading Marriage Encounter weekends, mine was the first
talk she’d received that didn’t require edits. For the first time, I questioned
whether I might be able to sell what I wrote. Although I got to see several
magazine articles go to print, it would be almost twenty years before I got my
first novel published.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books
you enjoy reading.

I actually enjoy
a wide range of genres, as long as the books are clean. I read books written in
any time frame (historical, contemporary, or futuristic), and the genres I
enjoy include young adult, suspense, romance, mystery, and fantasy. If the
characters are relatable and the story is compelling, I’ll probably like the
book.

How do you keep your sanity in our run,
run, run world?

The short
answer? I don’t!

Actually, I do
have some things that help keep me sane. First, I always like to start my day
with prayer and Bible reading. It helps to center me and keep my focus in the
right place. Another thing that helps is regular exercise. Nothing energizes me
and clears my mind like an hour of Zumba. Lastly, my lists help keep me sane.
No matter how crazy my schedule is, just having everything down on paper seems
to make it so much more manageable.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes, I
hear a name and think, “Ooo, that would be a great character name.” Other times,
I find those lists with the 100 most popular baby names for whatever decade my
character was born. For last names, I use an online surname generator. I type
in a character’s first name, then click “Generate Last Names.” Sometimes it
gives me names like Lefkopoulou and Abderrazzaq. (Yes, those are actual names
the program recommended to me.) I’m glad, though, that it also spits out plenty
of less complicated ones, since I’m pretty sure readers want to be able to
pronounce the names we give our characters.

What is the accomplishment that you are
most proud of?

Being nominated
for a RITA® award this year was a pretty cool experience. (For anyone not
familiar with this particular award, it’s like the Oscars of romance writing.)
The one accomplishment that thrilled me the most, though, was selling my first
book. It had been such a long time coming (about fifteen years since crafting my
first novel-length story). After years of rejection, discouragement, and long
periods where I just stopped writing, getting “the call” was a dream come true.

If you were an animal, which one would
you be, and why?

I think I’d be a
cat. But it would have to be one of the Post cats, because we spoil them
rotten. We’re down to one right now, since our older two passed away. Midnight
travels with us, sleeps with us, and hangs out with me as I write. He doesn’t
like to drink after the dog, so he hops up on one of the dining room chairs and
demands that I give him his water in a bottle. And I do!

What is your favorite food?

It really
depends on my mood. I’m a really healthy eater, so those are the types of foods
I usually crave. I’m probably the only person on the planet whose mouth waters
while looking at a salad. I don’t have a sweet tooth, so desserts are no
temptation for me. Instead, I crave salty snacks. So if I have a weakness, it
would have to be potato chips. I try to leave them at the store and eliminate
the temptation.

What is the problem with writing that was
your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest
roadblock for me was discouragement. I still sometimes have to fight it.
Writing is a solitary activity, and lots of rejection goes with the territory.
Having a support system is so important. Although my family was always
supportive, it wasn’t until 2010, when I joined Romance Writers of America and
my local chapter, Tampa Area Romance Authors, that I gained what I needed to
keep forging ahead.

Tell us about the featured book.

Grant McAllister
arrives in Murphy, North Carolina,
with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible.
The big-city lawyer has no interest in his late, estranged grandparents or the
dilapidated mansion he just acquired. After his high-profile divorce, he should
be avoiding perky reporters, too. But Jami Carlisle is honest, funny, and
undeniably appealing.

After breaking
up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first
big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to
ignore—much like its handsome, commitment-phobic heir. Thanks to her digging,
the pieces of Grant’s fraught family history are gradually fitting into place,
but also upending all his old beliefs.

The two draw
closer as they share their dreams, until misread signals and misunderstandings
begin to test their trust. But in the unspoiled beauty of the SmokyMountains,
there’s healing and forgiveness to be found. And for Grant, this unplanned
detour may be just what’s needed to finally guide him home…

Please give us the first page of the
book.

Decision
making’s a bear.

Well, not all
decisions, just ones that had the potential to ruin her life.

She stepped onto
an outcropping of rock that jutted over a small creek. Early morning sunlight
filtered through the canopy overhead, painting the flora varying shades of
green. Somewhere nearby, a cardinal whistled its cheery song. The McAllister
woods were her refuge, her place to gather her thoughts and regroup. It didn’t
matter that they weren’t hers. They adjoined her property, and she’d been
coming there as long as she could remember.

She released a
sigh. “Robert’s expecting me to say yes.” Actually, everyone was expecting her
to say yes. The whole town had the two of them engaged and all but married the
moment he’d taken her hand at the harvest party hayride in eighth grade. They’d
each dated others through the years, but last summer it had turned more
serious, and in the eyes of the people of Murphy, North Carolina, that was enough to cement
it—she was marrying Robert.

With another
sigh, Jami dropped to the cool surface of the rock and let her sneakered feet
dangle over the edge. Just below, water trickled over a downed limb and around
protruding rocks on its lazy path to lower ground. A breeze rustled the trees
above, harmonizing with the soothing sound of the creek. But the peace she
usually found there eluded her.

“This shouldn’t
be so difficult.” She lifted her eyes skyward. “Robert’s a good man. He’s kind
and responsible, and he’s a Christian.” There weren’t many people she felt as
close to as Robert.

So what was she
waiting for? A sign? She snickered at the image that popped into her head, one
of those black billboards with bold white letters:

Thank you, Lena, for inviting me to participate on your blog. I had
a great time being here!

Will an unplanned detour finally guide Grant home and find love with an honest, funny, and undeniably appealing reporter named Jami? Find out in a heartwarming romance by Carol J. Post, Trust My Heart. Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible. After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—but as the two draw closer as they share their dreams, misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust.

Join Carol in celebrating the release of Trust My Heart by entering to win her $75 Cozy Cash Giveaway.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of Trust My Heart

A $75 Visa cash card

A basket full of goodies made in North Carolina to keep you cozy in the cooler fall weather

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 23. The winner will be announced November 28 on Carol's blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

16 comments:

A historic home needing some TLC sounds personally intriguing to me as a starting point of interest in the story to tie the characters together. I have not previously read anything by Carol, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn more and participate. Cathy - TX

What a fun author interview! I'm like you in the fact that I love lists too, and when we go on a trip I have at least two going at the same time. I also write something down just to have the pleasure of crossing it off...lol! And, I love fairly healthy food. I can drool over a great salad bar & love going to Sizzler's just for all the variety they have. I'm not much on sweets or chips myself, but I do like an occasional piece of pie or maybe some ice-cream :-)

Your book sounds great, I've seen it on a few places, I think I'd enjoy it. Thanks for the chance to win a copy

Hi Carol. I agree that prayer and reading your Bible is a great way to stay grounded and to start your day. My knees won't permit me to Zumba so I find that taking a walk is helpful! I look forward to reading this book!Connie from KYcps1950(at)gmail(dot)com